Toilet seat for infants



Dec. 23, 1924.

1,520,304 R. L. NYE

TOILET SEAT FOR INFANTS Filed Nov. 4, 1922 Patented Dec. 23, 1924.

PATENT FFICE.

ROY L NYE, OF DES MOINES, IOWA.

TOILET SEAT Application filed November .T0 all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, Roiv L. NYE, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Des Moines, in the county of Polk and State of Iowa. have invented a certain new and useful Toilet Seat for Infants, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide a device of the class described of simple, durable and inexpensive construction that may be readily, quickly and easily applied to and Conveniently used in connection with a. stationary toilet seat in position resting on the toilet seator in connection with a small portable toilet vessel in position resting on it-s own legs above the vessel` and Further to provide a device of this kind in which the support-ing legs are locked in a folded position close to the under surface of the seat so that it may be easily carried and stored in a small space, and

Further to provide folding legs which may be readily, quickly and easily moved by the operator from the locked folded position toa locked position extended downwardly from the seat for use as supporting legs.

My invention consists in the construction, arrangement and combination of the various parts of the device. whereby the objects contemplated are attained as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in my claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawinUs, in which:

4igure 1 shows a central vertical sectional view through a toilet seat embodying` my invention and shown in position ready for use on an ordinary stationary toilet seat.

Figure 2 shows a side elevation of my improved device with the supporting legs in an extended position and adapted for use on a small portable vessel.

.Figure 3 shows an inverted p lan view with with the legs folded and with parts broken away to show certain details of construction, and

Figure 4. shows a detail sectional view illustrating one of the combined brace and latch devices in locked position in the latch strip. The dotted lines in this figure show the movement of the latch to position where it will slide in the latch strip groove.

Referring to the accompanying drawingsl` I have used the reference numeral 10 to indicate the main body portion having a central opening therein of suitable size and FOR INFANTS.

4, 1922. Serial N0. 599,018.

shape for use as an infants toilet. On the under surface thereof at the front and back is a supporting strip 11 having at .its central portion a downwardly extended centering lug 12, the out-er surface of which is rounded and tapered downwardly and inwardly. rllhese lugs are of use when the device is being used on an ordinary stationary toilet seat in that they serve to center the infants toilet seat relative to the stationary toilet seat and to hold it against either lateral or front and back movement. The tapered feature permits the device to be used in connection with stationary toilet seats of various sizes and shapes.

Located at the sides of the main body portion 10 on the under surface thereof are the latch strips 13 extending longitudinally of the seat and provided with a groove 14 eX- tendcd longitudinally and in this groove are two latch openings 15 near the ends.

The supporting legs are arranged in pairs and each pair comprises a straight rod 1.6 rotatably supported in the supporting strip 1.1. At the ends of the rod 16 are formed two supporting legs 17 and at the bottom of each leg is a foot member 18. Pivoted to one of the legs near its lower end is a combined brace and latch device 19, having at its upper end a latch member 20. This combined brace and latch member is pivoted to swing only in a plane at right angles to its pivot, or parallel to the path of the folding movement of the legs to which it is attached. The brace and latch member on one pair of legs is mounted with .its latch end in the groove 14: of the latch strip on one side. and the combined brace and latch member of the other pair of legs has its latch inserted in the groove of the other latch strip 13.

In practical use and assuming that the legs are all folded to position against the bottom of the seat they will be firmly held in this position because of the combined brace and latch devices resting in the notches or openings in the latch strips, as shown in Figures 1 and 3. When in this positionvm the device occupies a minimum of space and may be conveniently handled` packed and shipped and when it is desired to use it on a stationary toilet seat it is simply placed on the seat and the lugs 12 serve to center it on the stationary toilet seat and hold it against movement in any direction.

When it is desired to use the device in connection with a portable toilet vessel, then the legto which the combined brace and latch is attached and moves it outwardly, the foot serving as a handle for this purpose. Then this is being done the brace and latch device is at the same time moved outwardly from engagement with the notch 15 and into the groove 14. Then while still grasping the same leg both of the legs of the pair are then moved to position extended straiglit down from the seat, and when they reach this position the combined bracey and latch device springs into the other one of the notches 15 thus supporting the legs in position extended downwardly from the seat. The corresponding foot portion of the pair of legs at the other end is then manipulated in the same way, whereupon all four legs are in position for supporting the legs above a port-able toilet seat. The legs may then be folded back to position in the same way, that is to say, by grasping the leg to which the brace and latch device is attached and bending it outwardly far enough to bring the latch out of the notch 15 and then ymoving the leg downwardly to position adjacent to the under surface of the seat portion. f

Obviously the legs may be moved from.

locked folded position to locked extended position' or from locked extendedposition to locked folded position readily, quickly and easily because in either event it is necessary for the operator to grasp only the one leg to which the combined brace and latch device is attached and bend it first outwardly to release the latch and then toward or from the seat, as the case may be.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a device of the class described comi prising a seat portion, a strip secured to the under surface of the seat portion at each end and each strip being formed with aA portions being formed of spring material,

a latch device pivoted toI each leg and having on its end opposite from the leg aninwardly extended arm. a latch strip fixed to the under surface of said seat portion at each side, said latch strip being formed with a longitudinal groove at its outer surface and with openings extended inwardly toward the longitudinal center of the seat poition at each end, said parts being so constructed and arranged that the spring of the rod and leg portions will yieldingly hold the inwardly extended ends of the latch :members against the latch strips, said parts being so arranged and combined that. when the leg portions are moved downwardly to substantially vertical positions, the latchv members will slide through the grooves in thel latch strips until they reach vthe openings therein, whereupon the inwardly extended ends thereof will enter said openings in the latch strips, and when it is desired to fold the device, the latch devices mayl be pressed inwardly and move their ends from the openings in the latch strips and then the legs may be folded and the ends of the latch devices will remain in the groove of the latch strip and hold them firmly in position against the under surface of the seat portion.

2. In a device of ytheclassv described, the combination of a seat portion, legs pivoted to the seat portion and capable of folding up against the under surface of the seat portion, and a latching device for securing the legs either in their extended or folded position, said latching device comprising latch members pivoted to the legs and having sov their free ends extended inwardly toward y the longitudinal center of the seat portion,

and latch strips secured to the under surface of the seat portion and formedxwith an outwardly extended longitudinal groove and with openings at its end portions `to receive theA inwardly extended ends of the latch members when in their extended and also in their folded positions.

Des Moines, Iowa, March 11, 1922.

' ROY L. NYE. l 

